Vocab Cross

This game is essentially like Scrabble, but players are not limited by a few letters. Rather, players can create any word that they want using whatever letters that they want. This game is best played with two players so that each player stays involved, but you can also play with groups of three or four. Create a grid (by hand or on a Word document) that has about 200 boxes. Randomly shade in about 25 boxes. Write a word somewhere around the middle of the grid so that players have a starting point. As each player takes a turn, he/she must write a word into the grid that builds on a letter from a preexisting word (see how this is like Scrabble?). For each letter that the player puts into the grid, he/she gets one point. If the player writes a letter in a shaded box, that letter is worth two points. This point system motivates players to find the longest words that they know in the target language. For an added challenge, you can give them limited vocabulary themes, such as days/months/numbers, food, or verbs. Set a time limit and the player with the most points wins. You can make it less challenging by making broader categories and allowing players to repeat words. Here is a scaled-down version of what the game grid might look like: